THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 WWW.SAINTJOHNSSUN.

COM SAINT JOHNS SUN 3B

2016 Football Preview

Creekside 2015 rEsults

Coach: Jeff Schaum
record: 0-10, 0-4
2016 scHEdulE
Aug. 26 vs. Orange Park Record: 0-10, 0-4 in District 3-7A
Sept. 2 vs. Nease Aug. 28 at Orange Park L 28-12
Sept. 4 at Nease L 34-14
Sept. 9 at St. Augustine
Sept. 11 vs. St. Augustine L 35-17
Sept. 16 vs. Providence Sept. 18 at Providence L 42-7
Sept. 23 at Mandarin Sept. 25 vs. Mandarin L 47-29
Oct. 2 at Bartram Trail L 31-0*
Sept. 30 vs. Bartram Oct. 16 vs. Fleming Island L 23-17
Trail* OT*
Oct. 14 at Fleming Oct. 23 vs. Oakleaf L 40-0*
Oct. 30 at Buchholz L 30-7*
Island*
Nov. 6 vs. Ponte Vedra L 17-12
Oct. 21 at Oakleaf* * district game
Oct. 28 vs. Buchholz*
Nov. 4 at Ponte Vedra GAry MCCULLoUGH/CorreSPonDent
*district game Creeksides Connor Cline runs the ball against Menendez during a preseason football game at Creekside High School on
Aug. 21, 2015. Cline replaces Blake Morgan as the Knights starting running back.

By Brent Woronoff
brent.woronoff@staugustine.com
Strengths: The Knights like
their receiving corps and
an improved Tom Slavin at
quarterback to get them the
ball. They wont have record-
setting running back Blake
Morgan (now at Wofford) in
the backfield, but in the second
year of Jeff Schaums system
they should be more comfort-
able with the offense overall.
JT Wood and Charlie Simmons
will be the top targets, but
Creekside has depth at receiver
as well with Kamryn Medvec,
EJ Mohr and Deven Gray. They
also have three returning start-
ers on the offensive line and
appear solid at defensive end
with Drew Reagor and Robert
Corey Grower, at linebacker
with John Henderson, Sam
Henson and Brandon Dickman
and in the secondary with CBs
Chris Edwards and Vance Ben-
nett and safeties Dustin Owens
and Garrison Turnage.
Weaknesses: Overall depth.
After an 0-10 season, its not
surprising the Knights num-
bers are low. While they have
three returning starters on the
line, through the second week
of preseason practice they
had just six healthy linemen.
Connor Cline replaces record-
setting Blake Morgan at run-
ning back. Cline doesnt have
Morgans speed, but Creekside
coaches believe he can get the
job done. With little experience
behind him, however, Cline will
need to stay healthy.
returning starters: WR JT
Wood, Jr.; WR Charlie Sim-
mons, Sr.; QB Tom Slavin,
Sr.; OL Tyler Trkula, Sr.; OL
Michael Mathis, Sr.; OL Josh
Gracie, Sr.; DE Drew Reagor,
Sr.; CB Chris Edwards, Sr.; K/P
Garrison Turnage.
Promising newcomers: Junior
cornerback Vance Bennett is
one of the fastest players on the
team (along with fellow corner
Chris Edwards and receiver
Deven Gray). Another new DB
is senior Garrison Turnage,
who was limited to kicking and
punting duties last season but
has earned a starting spot in the
secondary. DT Grayson Wallace
could become an impact player
as a sophomore.
Hell be hard to stop: Drew
Reagor appears to be a leader
on defense. After allowing 32.7
points per game last season,
the Knights will need the 6-4,
210-pound senior to make some
big plays.
District outlook: Buchholz,
Bartram Trail and Oakleaf
will likely again battle for the
two playoff spots from District
3-7A. Creekside will have its
best chance to win a district
game and avoid the league
cellar when it travels to Fleming
Island on Oct. 14. The Knights
lost to the Golden Eagles in
overtime last season.
Circle this date: Oct. 14 at Flem-
ing Island. Bartram Trail is
obviously Creeksides biggest
rival. The players from the
nearby schools grew up togeth-
er. But the Knights remember
last years 23-17 OT loss after
leading 17-7 in the third quarter.
Why Coach Schaum is optimis-
tic: There is optimism for the
future: The Knights went 4-0
in games at a JV camp this
summer. And the varsity was
competitive in the Jackson-
ville Jaguars camp. Creekside
has lost 13 in a row but have
a chance to snap the streak
against Orange Park (season
opener) or Providence (Sept. 16).
Both teams were below .500 last
season. Creekside had chances
to win last year but couldnt
close. Everything depends on
us gaining the confidence we
need, Schaum said. We have
to prove we can play football
for four quarters. Every game
is going to be a dogfight. ... The
kids work ethic is phenomenal.
We had a bunch of kids who
decided football is not for them,
but the guys who are here are
warriors.

VERY INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER Improved Slavin back under

center at Creekside
tom slavin QB #18
Creekside Knights
Bio: Started four games as a sophomore; passed for 953 yards and four
touchdowns last season but was picked off nine times as he and his team-
mates struggled to learn a vastly different offensive system.
Why he is inspirational: Slavin never let adversity his teams or his
own bring him down. He worked hard in the offseason learning the of-
fense and helping his teammates do the same. Despite a 13-game losing
streak, he has remained positive and has buckled down to try to reverse
momentum.
What theyre saying: Offensive lineman Tyler Trkula He knows the
Senior, Creekside offense better than anyone else on the team. In practice he corrects the
Born: St. Augustine other quarterbacks. He helps everybody out.
Birthdate: Jan. 17
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 175 pounds
varsity Exp.: 3rd year

maiSlah
ToIz in drews
avAn Photos by Christina Kelso

By Brent Woronoff
Tom Slavin doesnt
take a hint.
The quarterback ended
last season on Creeksides
bench. Thats where
many expected hed be
again for the 2016 opener.
But they dont know him
like his father knows him.
Hes always been
focused, Jim Slavin
said. Hes unflappable
almost.
When Creekside
opened the quarterback
competition in January,
Slavin quickly made it
a runaway. He attended
every offseason meeting.
He pored over game film.
By the time spring
practice started he was
miles ahead of his com-
petitors in understanding
second-year coach Jeff
Schaums spread-option
offense. The offense had
to be simplified last year
because players were
having trouble learning
its nuances. And also,
there was a wild card in
talented running back
Blake Morgan, who ran
for a school-record 1,325
yards. The Knights no
longer have a luxury in a
workhorse like Morgan
and need a decision-mak-
er behind center.
Slavin, at one time an
after-thought, has become
the obvious choice.
Hes much more
assured of himself now
and understands what
hes doing, Schaum said.
Its looking pretty
good for me, Slavin
admitted. Im trying to
perfect everything
passing, reading defenses,
carrying out fakes, run-
ning with the ball and
knowing all the plays.
Offensive lineman
Tyler Trkula said his
fellow senior has pro-
gressed a great deal since
last season.
I have a lot more con-
fidence in him, Trkula
said. Hes really stepped
it up. The difference is
night and day. Last year
he was still learning (the
offense). But from the
first day of spring prac-
tice he knew what to do.
He knew where people
were supposed to be.
Slavin was thrown into
the fire as a sophomore,
starting four games for
the injured Ron Boyce.
Last season, he couldnt
separate himself from
two other QBs and then
was benched for fresh-
man Tai Lavatai. When
Lavatai got hurt, Slavin
returned to the lineup.
But he was benched again
in the second-to-last game
as the Knights struggled
through a winless season.
None of it seemed to
faze Slavin, who orga-
nized offseason workouts
with his receivers at Fruit
Cove Middle School.
He never wavered,
his father said. He always
knew what he had to do.
Schaum said he heard
the naysayers. At one
point he may have been
one.
I was surprised he
bounced back, the coach
said. Hes very resilient.
You can be in his face, and
youre not going to scare
him. He doesnt even roll
his eyes. Nothing really
affects him.
Winning the job was
just Step 1 for Slavin. Now
hes looking to win some
games, just as he did
when he was the start-
ing quarterback for his
eighth-grade Pop Warner
team.
I knew no one on the
team, he said. Most
of the players had been
together for years. It made
me realize you dont have
to be there for years, you
just have to beat out the
people in front of you. We
lost one game that year.
Im trying to figure out
what changed. We just
have to capture that light-
ning in a bottle.